The Council for Education in the Commonwealth are delighted that Joseph Nhan-O'Reilly will deliver its Annual Commonwealth Day Lecture 2025.

Joseph is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd) where he works with parliamentarians across the world, including the Commonwealth to grow political leadership for education.

Prior to establishing IPNEd he worked for over a decade at Save the Children leading the design and delivery of education programming and advocacy. He has worked on education in conflict affected and fragile contexts in various capacities for two decades.

He served on the board of the Global Partnership for Education and co-led, with Afghanistan's then Minister for Education, GPE's working group on support to fragile states. He was a member of the design team for Education Cannot Wait - the global fund for education in emergencies - and served on its Executive Committee. He played a leadership role in the education response to the war in Syria and in the development of the Global Compact on Refugees, which included ambitious commitments to education.

In the Commonwealth Day Lecture 2025, chaired by Bambos Charalambous MP, Joseph will reflect on how Commonwealth nations both individually and as collective can build political commitment and support for education in emergencies.

The number of school-age children whose education is affected by crises and require urgent education support has increased significantly in recent years, reaching 234 million by the end of 2024. Nearly half of all refugee children are out of school, and almost a quarter of a billion children’s schooling was disrupted by climate crises alone in 2024.

With the Commonwealth home to not only some of the biggest refugee hosting countries, but also 25 Small Island Developing States which are on the frontline of the climate crisis, there is an urgent need to protect learning for every child, in every corner of the Commonwealth.

We look forward to hearing Joseph's expert reflections on how the Commonwealth work together to ensure that every child has access to quality, climate-resilient learning, including in times of conflict and crisis.

Early booking is essential as the number of places are very limited. To avoid disappointment, please RESERVE your place now on Eventbrite. Confirmation emails will be sent to individuals who have registered their attendance.